Oilseeds and fruits

Oilseeds and fruits are plants of different families from which oil can be extracted from the fruits, seeds or other parts. The end product is used as cooking oil, fuel or for technical/mechanical purposes. Oilseeds are often cultivated for a second reason: the ‘oil cake’ produced when the oil is pressed out is used as protein feed. In Europe, rapeseed, sunflowers, linseed, pumpkin, mustard and olives are mainly grown for this purpose. In terms of tonnes produced, palm oil is the world’s most important oil crop, although soy occupies by far the largest area. Soy and palm oil are followed by coconuts, peanuts, cotton and sesame. The crops are mostly grown on large areas in the tropics, often at the expense of the rainforest. Vegetable oils, which contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, are essential for a healthy diet.